My name is Hikaru Kage and I'm sixteen now.
Somehow, Aether Academy found out about me and about what I can do so they sent an invitation.
Their entrance exam is in six days.
Not that I care.
Mom insisted I go, though. She said things like "this is your future don't waste this chance," but honestly, It's just going to be a waste of my time and energy.
Still, she forced me out of the house this morning.
And so, here I am, heading to the first part of the exam—the written test.
Not because I wanted to. But because it was the only way to keep myself together.
When I was young, the elders of the Kage clan always whispered the same words when they thought I wasn't listening.
"That boy… he's the prophecy. The one with the five gods." I heard one say.
"Ahhgg!!"
A scream?
It came from up ahead.
I walked closer.
I saw a girl with yellow hair tied back loosely, her clueless blue eyes darting around.
She was wearing a middle school uniform. I was about to walk right past her when she suddenly turned to me.
"Are you going to take part in the Aether Academy entrance exams?" She asked.
Why should I tell a complete stranger where I'm going?
Before I could say anything, she rudely peeked at my phone screen and noticed my GPS.
The map was clearly showing a route straight to Aether Academy.
She grinned. "You are, aren't you?"
"…Yeah." I replied reluctantly.
Her face lit up. "I'm Annie Sukiyaki. What's your name?"
"…Hikaru...Hikaru Kage."
Her expression froze. "Wait… you're from that clan?"
As expected. The same reaction as everyone else.
"How did you manage to get recruited for Aether Academy?" She asked.
That's what I want to know.
I shrugged. "I don't know."
She smiled. "Since we're going to the same place, why don't we walk together?"
I shook my head. "I'm taking the train."
"Then I'll join you." She shouted.
Why? Whatever. As long as she stays quiet, I don't care.
But of course, she didn't.
By the time we reached Shibuya Station, she had talked nonstop the entire way.
What's wrong with this girl? She reminds me of someone… someone I don't want to remember.
A girl.
She dragged me into her games and defended me when the others cornered me. "Don't you dare touch Hira-kun!" she'd shout.
Her fists clenched, even when she was far smaller than them.
She was like sunlight... The only one who reminded me that I was human.
But she left.
When I was ten, my father died. My mother became stricter.
The elders demanded more. And that girl's family moved to the city.
I looked around me at the people.
Everyday I have a feeling we shall meet again.
The day she left, she cried but I didn't.
"Hira-kun, promise me you'll live your life your way," she said.
I couldn't answer. I only nodded but she smiled anyway.
Annie's chatter interrupted me.
"Could you stop talking?" I finally muttered.
She giggled. "So he's the quiet type, huh? How cute."
"…What did you say?" I glared at her.
"Nothing." She immediately said.
Annoying.
When we finally arrived at Aether Academy, Annie's eyes sparkled. "It's huge!"
She wasn't wrong.
The campus was crowded.
About twenty-five different buildings in total.
At the center stood a massive glass tower gleaming under the sun.
It looked brand new.
A holographic sign guided us toward one of the buildings.
"That must be it," I muttered.
We entered, joining the flow of students.
About five hundred in this group alone. Apparently, another group would take the exams tomorrow.
In the hall, we were told to sit down and prepare for the written exam.
The smell of paper and detergent filled the hall.
"Good luck Hikaru!" Annie called out cheerfully before finding her seat.
I sat as well, accepting the test paper.
Looking around, I saw confusion and panic in the eyes of the other students.
Their despair could be felt all around.
When I glanced at my paper, it was nothing more than a grade-school test.
Pathetic.
By the time the test ended, whispers spread across the room.
"I failed…" one student muttered.
"No, you didn't," his friend reassured.
"You think so?" He asked.
"Yeah."
It was all pointless discussions.
Annie ran.over to me. "How'd the test go Hikaru?"
I shoved my hands into my pockets. "I don't care."
"So freakin' cool." She muttered.
"What's cool?"
"Nothing!" she said quickly, grinning.
Annoying.
"I guess I'll see you in two days, then," she added.
I nodded slightly. "Sure."
"What about your phone number?"
"We just met today. I'm not giving you that." I told her.
"Understood." She replied.
She then looked at her phone. " I have someone to meet. Bye! "
She ran off across the street waving energetically.
I turned away and began to head home.
The written exam was done. In two days the practical exam would begin.
I couldn't care less.
I've been saying that line my entire life.
I looked at a boy and his mother walking hand in hand with a smile on his face.
Would it be wrong for me to have a life like that?
I hated the way their eyes lingered on me. Not like I was a child but like I was a walking weapon.
Back then, my father was still alive.
A strict man, but gentle whenever I asked him questions about the world.
I remember once asking him. "Why does everyone keep staring at me like that?"
He didn't answer my question.
He just ruffled my hair. His silence was enough to put me at ease.
The Kage clan was weak. The weakest of all the clans.
And yet, the gods had chosen me.
Or at least, that's what they claimed.
While the other children struggled, I could move my shadow and stretch it like thread.
The elders smiled when they saw that. "The prophecy is true," they said.
It was just a curse.
The other kids really hated me for it.
I was beaten, mocked and cornered in the dark.
And every time it happened, I clenched my fists and refused to cry.
Somewhere along the way, my tears stopped coming.
My emotions shut down one by one until all that was left was silence.
That's when I realized...
Maybe this was what it meant to be chosen by the gods.
I... built a wall inside me to keep them out.
Now I'm a boy who repeats the same words over and over. "Not that I cared."
But when I looked at Annie's clueless blue eyes during the exam, I felt something within me.
A memory of the girl's smile.
The sound of footsteps woke me from my daydream.
I blinked.
The streets of Tokyo stretched before me, full of life, noise, and colors that have never seemed to reach me.
I walked home alone with the memory of the girl still lingering in my thoughts.
It was... rritating. I didn't want to remember any of it. I didn't want to feel anything too.
But even so… her voice echoed in my ears.
"Promise me you'll live your life your way."
Tch.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and quickened my pace.
I have no reason to care.